Plurals and gender in Spanish, covering rules for forming plural nouns and adjectives, using gendered endings, and handling exceptions.
Understanding how plurals and gender work in Spanish is fundamental for building correct sentences. Spanish nouns and adjectives change form based on number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine). This guide covers the basic rules and common exceptions.
Plural Formation
Forming plurals in Spanish depends on the ending of the singular noun or adjective:
- Words ending in a vowel: Add -s
libro → libros* (book → books)
casa → casas (house → houses)
- Words ending in a consonant: Add -es
papel → papeles* (paper → papers)
animal → animales (animal → animals)
- Words ending in -z: Change z to c and add -es
luz → luces* (light → lights)
raíz → raíces (root → roots)
How do you form the plural of a Spanish noun that ends in a consonant (other than -z)?
Add -es to the end of the word.
For nouns ending in a consonant (except -z), add -es to form the plural (e.g., papel -> papeles).
Gender Rules
Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. The general guidelines are:
- Masculine: Usually end in -o, or a consonant
libro (book), carro (car), animal* (animal)
- Feminine: Usually end in -a
casa (house), niña* (girl)
- Other endings:
- Masculine: -ma (e.g., problema), -e (sometimes)
- Feminine: -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad (e.g., nación, amistad)
Adjective Agreement
Adjectives must agree with the noun in both gender and number:
- Most adjectives ending in -o/-a change accordingly:
niño alto (tall boy), niña alta (tall girl), niños altos, niñas altas
- Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant are usually invariable for gender but change for number:
estudiante interesante, estudiantes interesantes*
animal grande, *animales grandes
Common Exceptions
- Some nouns are irregular in plural or gender:
- Plural: el autobús → los autobuses (adds -es)
- Gender: el día (masc.), la mano (fem.)
- Some nouns have different meanings depending on gender:
el capital (money) vs. la capital* (city)
el cometa (comet) vs. la cometa (kite)
Summary
- Form plurals by adding -s (vowels) or -es (consonants), changing z to c if needed.
- Use -o for masculine and -a for feminine, with exceptions.
- Make adjectives match the noun’s gender and number.
- Watch out for irregular and meaning-changing forms.
Understanding these rules is key to speaking and writing Spanish correctly!
What must adjectives agree with in Spanish?
Both the gender and number of the noun they describe.
Spanish adjectives change form to match both gender and number (e.g., niña alta, niños altos).
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
